The Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus) was a species of bear which once live in Europe during the Pleistoceneperiod. However, it became extinct due to the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum about approximately 27,500 years. The name Cave bear came from the fact that this specie’s fossils were most found in caves. Which indicate that this type of species spend more time in caves than any other bears. This species is the only type in its family that uses caves for hibernation. General Information:
Scientific Classification
Level
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Ursidae
Genus
Ursus
Species
U. spelaeus
Habitat: Like the Grizzly Bear the ranges for Cave bear are also widely stretched across the planet. Cave bear are shown they were primarily a western European species during the Pleistocene period. However, evidences have shown that the species have sign of living in Spain, Eurasia, Italy, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and parts of Russia. Unfortunately, it became extinct at the start of Last Glacial Maximum about 27,500 years ago.
Unlike the Grizzly bear the Cave bear are not able to adapt to all kinds of conditions. Evidences have shown that this species would probably spend more time in caves than the Brown bear. It is the only species of the entire bear family that uses cave for hibernation. The cave bear inhabited in low level mountainous areas, especially in those limestone caves. Scientist reckons that they seemed to avoid open areas like plain and forested areas.
Some scientists think that Europe may have once had literal herds of this species. Since there were huge numbers of bones found in east, south and central of Europe. However, there are also evidences showing that some of this species have over thousands of bones.
Structural Adaptations 1): Compared to the Grizzly bear, this species have almost all the structural feature that Grizzly bear has. It had massive front legs with huge paws and claws. Evidences have shown that the paws and claws might even be longer than the Grizzly bear. This helped the species to hunt their prey and in order to defence against predators more effectively. Environmental pressure to this adaptation: Since their prey during the Pleistocene time is even larger than the ones today. In order to hunt it and defence themself from hunted, they are forced to develop are set of massive front paws and claws. Since their prey today are much smaller than Pleistocene time. Their claws and paws have now degenerated.
Structural Adaptations 2): Compared to the Grizzly bear, this species is much heavier. Grizzly bear had a body weight from 150 to 375kg, while Cave bear had a body weight from 400 to700kg. Which is over twice the weight of the Grizzly bear. Some evidences have shown that the male could even be twice the weight of females. The body weight they had helped the species from getting knock down by other species from Pleistocene time, since the animals of that time is much larger than today’s. Environmental pressure to this adaptation: Since the time that the cave bears lived was Ice Age, It is rarely to for them get food supply. In order to crop with the extreme weather, they need to gain the most weight. By gaining weight they could stop eating and still survive for a long period of time. Behavioural Adaptation 1): Comparing to Grizzly bear, this species spend most of its time in caves and probably gave birth there. Scientists have found evidences of Bear footprints are found in clay on cave floors and their claw marks on cave walls. This species would probably spend more time in caves than the Brown bear. The caves prevented the species from freezing to death under extreme weather like Blizzard and snow storm. Environmental pressure to this adaptation: It is not possible for this species to live outside in the wild while it’s winter during Pleistocene. They are force to live in caves to prevent extreme winter and it will also lower the chance of being attack by predators. Behavioural Adaptation 2): There is often a high level dying rate of this species when it comes to winter. They often failed to get through hibernate over the winter. One of the reasons is because adults excluded them from the best feeding area, therefore they don’t have enough fat to survive over the winter hibernation. This is also a major reasons why the cave bear have became extinct Environmental pressure to this adaptation: The pressure that leads to this kind of action is because there are barely food supplies during winter of Pleistocene. Bears often have go through starvation when they hibernate over the winter. They barely survive over the winter due extreme winter and the lack of food supply and the weak ones won’t survive. Physiological Adaptation:
One of the physiological adaptations to this animal is its weight which is shown much heavier than many bear species found today. The average weight for males was around 400-500 kg and the females were around 225–250 kg. Which is about twice amount of body weight of grizzly bear today. The fat inside the Cave Bear plays an important role when it came to hibernation in winter. Environmental pressure to this adaptation:
Even though this species itself is mostly vegetarian, there are still other predators that will attack the cave bear and some of them are large than today’s. In order to protect itself from other predator it is forced to gain weight so it could stand against other predators. Another environmental pressure to this adaptation is the extreme weather conditions. In order to survive over the winter during Pleistocene, Cave bear must gain as much weight as possible.
Extinction Pressure:
Over years of research, the recent reassessment of fossils of this species indicated it was probably wipe out approximately 27800 years ago. However the reason is still disputed. One of the major reasons for this species to become extinct is their diet. Compared with other species that also became extinct later during the last Glacial Maximum, this species had a more specialized diet of plants and geographical range which can explain as why this species died out so much faster and earlier than the rest of the mammals. Though evidences have shown the structural adaptation of this species is not reasons that cause the extinction.
Cave Bear
The Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus) was a species of bear which once live in Europe during the Pleistoceneperiod. However, it became extinct due to the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum about approximately 27,500 years. The name Cave bear came from the fact that this specie’s fossils were most found in caves. Which indicate that this type of species spend more time in caves than any other bears. This species is the only type in its family that uses caves for hibernation.
General Information:
Scientific Classification
Habitat:
Like the Grizzly Bear the ranges for Cave bear are also widely stretched across the planet. Cave bear are shown they were primarily a western European species during the Pleistocene period. However, evidences have shown that the species have sign of living in Spain, Eurasia, Italy, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and parts of Russia. Unfortunately, it became extinct at the start of Last Glacial Maximum about 27,500 years ago.
Unlike the Grizzly bear the Cave bear are not able to adapt to all kinds of conditions. Evidences have shown that this species would probably spend more time in caves than the Brown bear. It is the only species of the entire bear family that uses cave for hibernation. The cave bear inhabited in low level mountainous areas, especially in those limestone caves. Scientist reckons that they seemed to avoid open areas like plain and forested areas.
Some scientists think that Europe may have once had literal herds of this species. Since there were huge numbers of bones found in east, south and central of Europe. However, there are also evidences showing that some of this species have over thousands of bones.
Structural Adaptations 1):
Compared to the Grizzly bear, this species have almost all the structural feature that Grizzly bear has. It had massive front legs with huge paws and claws. Evidences have shown that the paws and claws might even be longer than the Grizzly bear. This helped the species to hunt their prey and in order to defence against predators more effectively.
Environmental pressure to this adaptation:
Since their prey during the Pleistocene time is even larger than the ones today. In order to hunt it and defence themself from hunted, they are forced to develop are set of massive front paws and claws. Since their prey today are much smaller than Pleistocene time. Their claws and paws have now degenerated.
Structural Adaptations 2):
Compared to the Grizzly bear, this species is much heavier. Grizzly bear had a body weight from 150 to 375kg, while Cave bear had a body weight from 400 to700kg. Which is over twice the weight of the Grizzly bear. Some evidences have shown that the male could even be twice the weight of females. The body weight they had helped the species from getting knock down by other species from Pleistocene time, since the animals of that time is much larger than today’s.
Environmental pressure to this adaptation:
Since the time that the cave bears lived was Ice Age, It is rarely to for them get food supply. In order to crop with the extreme weather, they need to gain the most weight. By gaining weight they could stop eating and still survive for a long period of time.
Behavioural Adaptation 1):
Comparing to Grizzly bear, this species spend most of its time in caves and probably gave birth there. Scientists have found evidences of Bear footprints are found in clay on cave floors and their claw marks on cave walls. This species would probably spend more time in caves than the Brown bear. The caves prevented the species from freezing to death under extreme weather like Blizzard and snow storm.
Environmental pressure to this adaptation:
It is not possible for this species to live outside in the wild while it’s winter during Pleistocene. They are force to live in caves to prevent extreme winter and it will also lower the chance of being attack by predators.
Behavioural Adaptation 2):
There is often a high level dying rate of this species when it comes to winter. They often failed to get through hibernate over the winter. One of the reasons is because adults excluded them from the best feeding area, therefore they don’t have enough fat to survive over the winter hibernation. This is also a major reasons why the cave bear have became extinct
Environmental pressure to this adaptation:
The pressure that leads to this kind of action is because there are barely food supplies during winter of Pleistocene. Bears often have go through starvation when they hibernate over the winter. They barely survive over the winter due extreme winter and the lack of food supply and the weak ones won’t survive.
Physiological Adaptation:
One of the physiological adaptations to this animal is its weight which is shown much heavier than many bear species found today. The average weight for males was around 400-500 kg and the females were around 225–250 kg. Which is about twice amount of body weight of grizzly bear today. The fat inside the Cave Bear plays an important role when it came to hibernation in winter.
Environmental pressure to this adaptation:
Even though this species itself is mostly vegetarian, there are still other predators that will attack the cave bear and some of them are large than today’s. In order to protect itself from other predator it is forced to gain weight so it could stand against other predators. Another environmental pressure to this adaptation is the extreme weather conditions. In order to survive over the winter during Pleistocene, Cave bear must gain as much weight as possible.
Extinction Pressure:
Over years of research, the recent reassessment of fossils of this species indicated it was probably wipe out approximately 27800 years ago. However the reason is still disputed. One of the major reasons for this species to become extinct is their diet. Compared with other species that also became extinct later during the last Glacial Maximum, this species had a more specialized diet of plants and geographical range which can explain as why this species died out so much faster and earlier than the rest of the mammals. Though evidences have shown the structural adaptation of this species is not reasons that cause the extinction.
1) Wikipedia (2010) Cave Bear wiki. Retrieved 21-7-2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_bear
2) BBC Home (2008) Science & Nature: Animals. Retrieved 24-7-2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3038.shtml
3) Animal Pictures Archive, Animal Photo Album. Retrieved 26-7-2010
http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=3&did=29025
4) Allexperts, Wild animals. Retrieved 27-7-2010
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Wild-Animals-705/prehistoric-bears-lions.htm